Joined: 18 Oct 2004Posts: 1654Location: Within view of Elliot Bay, The Olympics and every ship in the Sound

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:36 pm Post subject: A New Coffee Maker

Hello fellow C&Zers,

I was wondering if you can help me out in finding a new coffee maker. My current one is getting old and I am ready for a change. I am looking for a grind and brew machine, because as much as I love coffee I loathe grinding, actually I hate making coffee all together, but it is necessary to my ability to function. Anyway, I am hoping to find out things like reliability, ease of cleaning and quality of the brew to find out if a grind and brew is worth it.

Any help would be great. Thanks!_________________"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

We grind and make French press. Sometimes if I get bored I make manual drip, but generally my husband is the coffee guy. Sometimes I even get it in bed! We have never spent more than $20 on a coffee maker. The problem we have here in Wisconsin is our water is very hard, and mechanical coffee makers fill with lime in no time. We would have to constantly clean (de-lime) a machine.

so..all I can do is wishe you the very very very best in your search_________________"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

grinding your own sounds so romantic.....!!
I used to have a ' grind and brew'machine, 'cause I loved to buy my beans wherever I travelled to and take them home and have my machine grind just as much as it needed for my coffee...then the machine broke. And I gave up the romance. I have a Nespresso now, with a aerolatte-thingy as well - and love it. Both stayed at home( so that we can have decent coffee whenever we are in the Netherlands) so my first purchase here was another Nespresso and ' milkmonster'. Feeling much more at home now...

My beloved Nespresso machine (the C-190 model) is probably the one kitchen item I'd grab on my way out the door in a fire. I've had just about every other kind of coffee maker or grinder that is available, but the Nespresso - let's just say I'm hooked.

The convenience alone made a HUGE difference in my life, but the coffee choices trigger my "I'm in love" threshold too.

My husband (avid coffee hater) noticed how much I enjoyed mine, and sent a machine to his father. His mother can now make him coffee, even though she detests it herself. And the bonus is that I don't have to haul my machine with us when we visit them. Sweet!!

p.s. Swan, what are your thoughts on the Aeroccino milk frother? I wanted it to heat the milk more than it does. But my father-in-law seems to like it.

Joined: 18 Oct 2004Posts: 1654Location: Within view of Elliot Bay, The Olympics and every ship in the Sound

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject:

I have to have my whole bean. I need the experience of going to the shop and chatting with my baristas while they weigh my beans or share a sample of the new varietal. I have a french press that I use on occasion, but I am not a morning person in the slightest. No that is much too mild, I hate the morning and feel that despite it's beauty, the sunrise is an altogether obscene occurance that insights more grumbling than poetry from me. Sorry, I got off course, I am way too cranky to grind, boil, brew and plunge that early in the morning. I want to flip a switch and be done with it.

Thanks for all of the help guys! I can always count on you._________________"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

Erin, my neighbors have a Cuisenart Grind'n Brew which puts out quite a respectable cup, I think. I've had it several times after a dinner party and was impressed. They set it at night and wake up to fresh ground, brewed coffee.

msue, barbara, I'm fine with the temperature of the milk coming from the aeroccino - that is for use in the coffee!
I agree that if I want a cup of hot milk with honey, or cocoa, its not warm enough.
I like to drink my coffee almost immediately after I made it so for me it's fine. It might help to preheat the coffeecup by letting the nespressomachine make you a cup of coffee without the capsule first in the cup you will use. I usually froth the milk and make my coffee at the same time, milk takes a bit longer, so all is ready and warm. And my favourite is " to play starbucks" by adding a nice flavoured syrup now and then.... (cinnamon (bought in Paris!) preferably, or vanilla...) (don't laugh, Holland is a 'no-starbucks-zone' except for the airport since a few months! Now in HK my need for playing starbucks is lots less....many here as well as other coffee places)

I do like the fact that it can froth cold as well! easy milkshake with milk and a little syrup (okay, fool yourself milkshake, no icecream in there, but hey, it makes my hips happier!)